Carla Hayden confirmed as Librarian of Congress

The Senate has confirmed Carla Hayden to be the next Librarian of Congress.

She was approved by a vote of 74-18.

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Hayden, the CEO of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library, was nominated by President Barack Obama five months ago. She becomes the first woman and first African-American to fill the post.

She sailed through her confirmation hearing in April with no stated opposition, though her nomination had stalled in the Senate. As of Tuesday, one Republican had a hold on her nomination, according to a Senate source familiar with the situation.

The Librarian of Congress manages a vast national collection of some 160 million works. While it's a somewhat obscure post, the Librarian wields considerable power behind the scenes, particularly in the area of copyright. He or she, for example, decides whether Americans can tinker with their copyright-protected devices like smartphones, tablet computers and even software systems in cars.

Obama, in announcing the pick in February, said of Hayden: "Her understanding of the pivotal role that emerging technologies play in libraries will be essential in leading the Library of Congress as it continues to modernize its infrastructure and promote open access and full participation in today's digital world."

In 2003, Hayden, then president of the American Library Association, rallied librarians across the country to oppose the USA PATRIOT Act, saying the national security law passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks gave law enforcement "unprecedented powers of surveillance — including easy access to library records with minimal judicial oversight."

She replaces James Billington, who resigned as Librarian of Congress in September after 28 years on the job. The White House had considered higher-profile candidates for the position, including Walter Isaacson, author of a celebrated biography of the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, but Isaacson took himself out of the running last fall, according to a source at the time.